Vanner Inverter / Charger - Info Needed

[DavidInWilmNC]

I bought a Vanner Inverter / Charger off eBay... ITC Series.  It's used, but supposedly works, and has a refund guarantee.  The packing was horrible - a 75lb inverter in a Frito-Lay box.  The inverter survived ok, but the remote panel got damaged to the point of not functioning.

With much anxiety, I connected it to my house batteries through a 40 amp fuse (just to be conservative).  There was the usual spark when the fuse was first installed.  I connected various loads ranging from 20 watts up to about 900 watts (a hairdryer). 

Here's where I'm confused.  I connected a multimeter to it and got a consistent 119-120.5 volts - that part is good.   I switched my meter to Hz and the numbers jumped all around so quickly I couldn't even say them.  Is this indicative of a modified sine wave inverter?  The hair dryer 'sounded' fine (the same pitch as always).  I also plugged in a fan and it seemed to run correctly, too. 

I can find no information on this inverter.  I've emailed Vanner, but I got an out of office reply.  I'm looking for any information or experiences on this inverter.  I've attached a picture of the information label on the inverter.  Thanks for any help.

David

[NJT5047]

I cannot answer a Vanner Inverter question, but I can offer that my modified sine Trace doesn't 'hunt' around.  I've got a panel that has a hertz counter and a type of sine wave indicator (mod or pure sine).   
The inverter is right on 60 cycles.  Found that the genset was not.  I had to decrease the genset RPM to get it at 60 cycles with one AC running.   
Have you checked the hertz with a load on the inverter?  Like the fan?  May want to try a different meter too...I'm a big fan of dig volt meters, but some dig meters are a PITA to use because they won't settle down.
They'll go into a search mode when no load is present.  Not sure exactly how that would look regarding hertz.   Jerry L and Richard would likely have some good thought on this subject.
JR

[TomCat]

David,

Plug a digital clock into an outlet served by your inverter. If the clock holds good time, it should be right on 60 Hz. If it shows 61 minutes in an hour, it's running at 61 Hz...if 59 minutes, closer to 59 Hz...etc.

Jay
87 SaftLiner

[Dallas]

David,

Is this what your Inverter looks like?

[DavidInWilmNC]

Dallas,

That's the closest manual I could find, but it doesn't look much like mine.  For one, mine has a built-in charger, three push to reset circuit breakers, and a panel to mound the remote control in the inverter (if one doesn't want it remotely mounted).  It's got a front mounted GFCI outlet, a toggle switch with a green LED, and not much else.

My meter reads a steady 59.97 Hz on shore power, so I have pretty good faith in it.  I'll try the digital clock thing along with an analog clock, if I can find one.  I'm wondering if a cheap old TV would show interference if the frequency was really fluctuating that much.  I know I have an old CRT monitor that I can check itSurely there's got to be some sort of cheap appliance or electronic item I can plug in to test.  Otherwise, I'll dig out an old window unit A/C to test with.  Right now, it's running on 1/0 cable from my old inverter, so I won't be able to test it to its max output.  I'll need 4/0 for that. 

I sure hope this works out to be a decent inverter.  It's got a 4 stage charger, a battery temp sensor, remote fan control for the batteries, a 30 amp transfer switch, and looks to be well built.  It was fairly cheap - around $300 shipped.  If not, I'll see if Vanner has a flat-rate repair program that'll still keep it a good deal for me.  Otherwise, I'll have to return it or claim it for damage from USPS (it was beat up pretty badly.)

David

[captain ron]

Hook up your all in one printer and see if it works, that's the only thing I've had trouble with from my mod. sine inverter.

[JackConrad]

David,
  We have a Heart Interface 2500 watt 12volt modified sine wave inverter/charger. Everything works OK except a Sony digital clock radio. Radio part works fine, but clock is not even close to keeping correct time. I was told this is due to modified sine wave (clock "sees" each step in sine wavew as a complete sine wave).  Since our microwave is also a convection oven, we do not have it running off inverter, so I do not know what that clock would do.  Jack

[DavidInWilmNC]

Here's an update:

I called Vanner and spoke to the service manager (very helpful, by the way).  He said that this is a 2006 model and under warranty based on the serial number.  It was suggested that I put a bigger load on it and then check the frequency.  If it doesn't stabilize, it will be repaired - under warranty, of course!  This is a true sine wave model, which is what I was hoping for.  Its pass through current is only 30 amps, so I won't use it like a 4024.  I'll just mount a 50 amp RV receptacle (wired to the inverter) in the bay with my power cord and plug it in there.  I have an ATS for Gen / AC switching, so the generator will take over when started.  It has auto start for a generator, too. This model supposedly has a search / standby mode.  Most of these features are programmed by dip switches on the remote which wasn't connected.  I'll have to have the insurance pay for the remote, as it was damaged during shipping.  All in all, it doesn't seem like a bad buy for around $320 shipped (although I may have to ship it to Vanner for repair).  I just received a manual via email and will be able to test it better tonight.

David